Food for Thought: Cookie-baking advice

Food rail for Nov. 24, with cookie-baking tips, an easy recipe for roasted squash with potatoes and garlic, a review of Fannie May cheesecake, and more.

Tip of the Week: Classic cookie tips

- Use shiny aluminum cooking sheets that are at least 2 inches smaller than the inside of your oven to allow heat to circulate.

- Use shortening or cooking spray to grease cookie or baking sheets only when the recipe calls for it. Don’t grease nonstick cookie sheets even if a recipe calls for it; the cookies may spread too much.

Bake 45-50 minutes, turning once after vegetables are browned on one side. Serves 8.

Note: Squash may be peeled if desired.

-- www.cdc.gov

Did You Know?

A survey by Sears found that 43 percent of Americans are asking their guests to bring food to holiday celebrations so costs are shared.

Would You Buy It? Fannie May cheesecake

Details: The frozen cheesecakes are made by Eli’s. There are four flavors: Pixie, Trinidad, Vanilla Buttercream and Mint Meltaway.

Claims: The cakes taste like the candies they are named after.

More information: www.fanniemay.com

Comments: We tried the Pixie, which has a topping of caramel, milk chocolate and pecans. The chocolate crust was somewhat flavorless, but the vanilla filling was rich and the topping was just the right blend of crunch and sweetness. It did taste like a Pixie.

Would you buy it? Yes.

-- State Journal-Register (Springfield, Ill.)

Food Quiz

The “pan-bagnat” is a sandwich that is built around which of the following salads?

A. Lomi lomi
B. Nicoise salad
C. Panzanella
D. Cobb salad

(www.funtrivia.com)

Answer is at bottom of column

Wise to the Word: Zest

Can citrus be zestful? You bet it can. The outermost skin of lemons, limes and oranges contains the strongest flavor of the fruit, the zest. It is pared off with a knife or citrus zester.

Zest is only the colored part of the skin and not the white underneath. Its aromatic oils flavor a wide range of raw and cooked recipes and baked goods.

-- The Repository

Number to Know: 14.5

Grams of protein in ½ cup of crumbled blue cheese – calorielab.com

The Dish On …

“100 Words for Foodies” from the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries

Food terms make up one of the most fascinating parts of the English vocabulary.

The Food Network talks about food 24 hours a day. People talk about chefs and what they cook in daily conversation. In fact, we spend almost as much time discussing food as we do preparing and eating it.

This latest book in the “100 Words” series presents 100 mouthwatering food terms to be savored by fine diners, cooking fanatics, restaurateurs, and ordinary folks who enjoy what they eat but can't always decipher the menu.

From the Beer Nut’s Blog:

The Left Hand Brewing Company of Colorado has announced a new beer to seek out.

Left Hand describes its Fade to Black as a foreign stout, brewed with six different malts and two different hops.

“It’s 8.5 percent ABV gives way to a feeling of self loathing, burnt opportunities and smoked relationships,” the brewery said.

Fade to Black is a seasonal, but once it is gone, it’s gone for good. Next year, Fade to Black will be a new recipe.

To read more from the Beer Nut, visit http://blogs.townonline.com/beernut/